US Indymedia Centers

On its first day back in session, the House of Representatives yesterday voted in support of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). The AETA is a law that could be used criminalize some of the most important forms of nonviolent animal protection advocacy: civil disobedience, whistle-blowing, and undercover investigations. Over 160 groups registered their opposition to the new law, among them are The Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), New York City Bar Association, and The National Lawyer's Guild. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also issued a statement strongly urging opposition to the bill, but later issued another statement pledging they would not oppose the legislation but urged congress to change much of the language of the bill.

On Thursday, November 9th, Massachusetts’s citizens gathered on Beacon Hill in front of the State House to voice their opinions on same-sex marriage. On one side of the street assembled a large and lively demonstration in favor of equal marriage rights. On the other side, in front of the Boston Common was a smaller counter demonstration. Also attending the protest were a handful of local activists presenting a decidedly more radical queer side to the debate.

Oaxaca is living a brutal government represión of the social movement, where there are disappearances, torture, detentions, killings, and many injured. Given the situation, it is difficult to know exactly how many people have been affected, but there is no doubt that there are severe violations of human rights. According to one list, compiled by local activists, from June 14th through November 5th, there were 145 detained, 34 of who have been freed, 17 dead, and 33 seriously injured, including 5 journalists injured and one killed. Some sources speak of 65 disappeared. There are numerous people who have also received death threats.

Below is an interview with one of the members of a collective working to defend human rights and documenting cases of violations.

Cambridge, Mass. – Sponsored by Farm Aid, Oke USA, and the Student Labor Action Movement, four representatives of fair trade family-owned farming spoke last Thursday at Harvard University about their experiences as part of the People Before Profit: A Week of Action for Global Justice in Boston. Rich Bonanno from Methuen, Mass., Shirley Sherrod from Georgia, Tadesse Meskela, from Ethiopia, and Silvia Arevalo, from Ecuador, were invited to discuss the benefits reaped from and challenges still faced by small farmers all over the world.

After fearing an indictment that could have landed her in jail for life, Lynne Steward claimed victory today as the judge handed a veridict of 28 months in prison for "extraordinarily severe criminal conduct" for distributing press releases on behalf of her jailed client. She remains free on bail upon the appeal of her case.

Lynne Stewart is a radical human rights attorney known for her outspoken political views and representation of controversial clients. Last year, Lynne was convicted of providing material support to a terrorist organization for representing a client accused of terrorism.

Brookline, Mass – The Tribal Community Alliance, a student organization at Brookline High School that works on raising awareness about indigenous rights, brought friends and supporters together to protest the Columbus Day holiday. Standing on Coolidge Corner with banners that read “Stop Celebrating Genocide” and “Support Indigenous People Day”, the protesters confronted what they say is a wrong account of history.

Dozens of students and community members confronted representatives of the U.S. Army, Marines, Air Force, and Central Intelligence Agency on Harvard's campus in Allston last Friday.

The action was a joint effort by a coalition of Harvard students in protest of the war in Iraq, the poverty draft, and discrimination in the military, but also in protest of Harvard's corporatization of education and its expansion into Allston.